Cotton-harvester



(No Model.)

E B Shetvs-Sheet'l. C. L. WALTER.

COTTON HARVESTER.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GOTTON HARVESTER. y

Patented Se "N EEE-1 2 w1 ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) e sheets-sheets. .0. L. WALTER.

COTTON HARVESTER.

vPla-termedSept. 8, 1885.

IN'VBNTOB.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. ruins. Pnmummpm. walhingm. o. c.

(No Model.) e sheetssheet 4.

C.' L. WALTER.

v QTTON HARVESTER. Jtl'o. 325,880. Patented Sept. 8,.1885;.

WITNBSSES: mvBNToR:

W v 'BY 0962,-

ATTORNEYS.

N. Pimm Pmwmmgmmf. wnmmm o. e

{No Model.) 6 Sheecs--Sheei'| 5.

C. L. WALTER. COTTON HARVESTER.

1\I0.325,88o.V Iammdsept.8,1885.V

WITNEssEs M MW ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PholuLRhogv-Apher. Wxshngton. D. C.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

No. L. WALTER,

I `SUTTON HARVESTER'.

Patented Septfi, 1885.

ATTORNEYS Y cotton-harvester, all asv hereinafter fully d'e` UNITEDSTA-Tas PAT-ENT @Prion-r..

CHARLES L. WALTER, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COTTON-HARVESTER. 4

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,880, datedSeptember 8, 1885. Application filed December 10, 1884. (No model.)

To all whomv it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LoUis WAL- TER, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have inventeda new and improvedCotton-Harvester, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to cotton pickers or harvesters, and has for itsobject to improve the construction of this class of `machinesso as toenable the cotton to be picked from the plants and delivered to bagswithout damage to the picked staple or to the cotton-bolls remaining onthe plants, and with considerable economy of time and labor.

The invention consists in the particular constructions and combinationsof parts of the scribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedv cotton-harvester. Fig. 2 isa plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional sideelevation of the stripper-disks and mechanism for'conveying the pickedcotton to bags held to a box or receiver at the rear end of the machine.Fig. 4 is a rear View of the machine with the hind wheels removed andparts broken away. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view ofthe rear end of themachine. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation of thepicking-fingers and the mechanism for controlling their movements withrelation to the stripper-disks. Fig. 7 is an inner face View of the camwhich regulates the throw of the picker-fingers. Fig. 8 is an inner faceview of the guide-plate by which the picker-fingers are kept in properposition to enter between the stripper-disks should their springs failto act. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a preferred construction of theknife-edged plates which remove the picked cotton from thestripper-disks. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view of parts oftwo stripper-disks, stripper knives 0r plates, and adjacentcottoncarrying belt. Fig. ll is a side View of the central part of oneof the stripper-disks with the shaft in cross-section, and Figs. 12, 13,i

the forward wheels', A5. i of the rear frame -section overlap the side lbars a of the front section, A3, to a point about and 14 are enlargeddetail views of the pickerh'ngers, their bars, and crank-connections.

I make the frame of the machine in two parts or sections-a main rearpart, A, which `is supported by an upwardly cranked or arched axle, A',on the hind wheels, A2, and

. a forward section, A3, which is supported by the upwardly cranked'orarched axle A, on The side bars, a,

over the forward axle an d to the bars a are fixed theupwardly-projecting plates a2, each `of which has a 'seriesot holes,through any one of which'a pin or bolt, a3, may bepassed into the sidebar, a, of the rear frame-section. on which `the cotton pickingmechanism is supported, so that said mechanism may be raised or loweredwith the rear frame to suit the height 'of the cotton-plants A6, fromwhich the cotton is to be picked. I show four plates,

ai, with a pin passed through each plate into the rearframe-section.section is supported from its axle by fifth-wheel or other suitablerunninggear, so as to be turned freely to guide the machine, andsuitable shaft or pole connections will be provided Ato enable eitherone or two animals drawing the machine to walk ,between the rows ofplants, and I provide a seat, AF, and footboard AS for the driver.

The forward frame- The letter B indicates a transverse shaft,

which is jonrnaled in suitable boxes held to the frame A, and has fixedto it the opposite disk-plates or spider-frames B B2, in which are heldloosely, so as to turn axially and slide longitudinally, the picker barsO, l'teen or `twenty in number, and having collars or socket `pieces cfixed to them, in which the cottonpicking iingers D are rigidlyheld-say, by

pins d passed through them and the collars. (See Fig. l2.)

The picker-bars C have` the fixed stop collars or studs c' c'l c3, thecollar 'c' standingoutside of the plate B', the collar c2 standinginside of the plate B2, and the collar c3 inside of and a short distancefrom the plate B', and between the collar c3 and the plate B on each ofthe bars C is placed a suitablespring, C', which acts to force the bar Cendwise toward the .plate B2 and a cam-plate, E.

ICO

Y rThe canrplate E is fixed to the frame A of the machine, say, by boltspassed through projecting flanges at the back of the cam, as shown, andsaid plate has around its inner face the eccentric or cam groove c, intowhich the armsf ofthe cranks F, fixed to the adjacent ends ofthepicker-bars C, enter, and the back 'wall or base of the lower part ofthe carugroove e has a waved or fiuted conguration, as at c', to impartto the picker-fingers D, in connection with the springs C', a sidewisevibratory movement as the fingers are passing y through thecotton-plants to pick t-he ripe cottou therefrom.

The crank-armsfhave antivfriction sleeves or rollers f' fitted on themloosely and held on by pins f2, and the extreme ends of the cra nk-armsare rounded over, as atfg, to work easily and truly over the notchedbase portion e of the cam-groove e, in which groove the rollers f' run.

At the side ofthe machine oppositelthat to which the cam E is placed, Ifix the curved bar or plate G, which has a semicircular form struck on acircle described by the ends of the picker-bars C, and the oppositeends, g g, of the plate G are bent outward. (See Fig. 6.) The plate Ghas such a facial relation to the cam E and the picker bars and fingersC D and the stripperdisks H, presently to be described, that if for anycause the springs C' should fail to act as the fingers D rise from thecotton plant or bush, the ends of the pickerbars C will ride up theinclined end g of the plate G, which will force the picker-bars endwiseand toward the cam E, and so that they will sweep backward directly inthe center of the spaces between the next adjacent stripperdisks H,which remove from the fingers D the cotton picked from the plants bythem, as hereinafter more fully explained. The guideplateG thus insuresthe proper relative positions of the fingers with the stripper'disks andprevents any breakage or damage of the f1ugers or disks by contact witheach other.

' The shaft B passes through a central open ing of the cam-plate E, andhas xed to it the chain-wheel B, over which a power-transmitting belt,I, passes to a chain-wheel, I', fixed to the right-hand wheel, A2, fromwhich power thus is taken to drive the pickeriingers.

The picker-'Engels D. have a peculiar construction. I make them ofslender rods,which may have some little flexibility, and have byprcference,where they enter the cotton-plant, a triangularcross-sectional form with rounded corners, and the fingers are set onthe bars Cso that one of their angles or corners faces the direction inwhich they move, permitting them to enter and pass through thecottonplant easily.

In the two forward sides or faces of the fingers which diverge rearwardI cut or form, quite closely together, transverse slots D', and alongone edge of each slot I fix a series of teeth or prongs, D2, whichproject rearward and outward from the fingers about half-way,

more or less, across the slots, but do not project beyond the generalplane of the body of the finger. The teeth D2 preferably project towardthe bars or shafts C, on which the fingers are fixed. (See Figs. 12 and14.) With this construction it is evident that as the fingers passthrough the plant, the teeth D`l will catch the ripe cotton fiber andpick or draw it from the boll, and the ribs or projections d', betweenthe slots D', or, in other words, the general plane-faces of thefingers, will prevent the teeth DZ from tearing or injuring the unripecotton-bolls, and-the fingers will have a tendency to carry nothing fromthe plants but the fibers of cotton. n

I make the picker-fingers D of etch bar C gradually longer from thecenter of thelength of the bar toward its opposite ends, so that theouter ends of the fingers on each bar are in a curved or concaved linetransversely, which conforms somewhat to the conical tops of thecotton-plants to enable the ngers to reach all parts of the plantwithout unduly thrashing or beating the tops or central parts of theplants. (See Figs. 2 and 6.)

I mount the stripper-disks H rigidly on a shaft, J, which is journaledin boxes on the frame A, and so as not to have endwise movement. Thesedisks H,I prefer to make of two circular plates, h h, of wood or metal,secured to each other back to back, and provided on their side faceswith brush material H', which may consist of' bristles, wires, or othersuitable substance held to the disk-plates or center in any approvedway. I show the disks held to the shaft-at even distances apart byset-screws h', entered through a central collar or bushing, lz?, fittedin theY disks. (See Figs. lO'and 11.)

On the shaft J is fixed a pinion, J', which meshes with a largegear-wheel, K, the shaft of which is journalcd in a box held to theframe A, and carries also a fixed chain-wheel, 7c, over which achain-belt, K', passes to alarger chainwheel, K", fixed to thechain-wheel I', so as to be revolved by the righthind wheel, A", fromwhich a quick rotary motion thus isim parted to the stripperdisks H inthe direction of thearrows 2, or reversely to the direction of movementof the fingers D, and at a much quicker speed.

I describe the operation of the picker-fingers D and of thest1ipper-disks H with relation to the fingers as follows As the machineis drawn along the rows of cotton-plants,the fingers D will be swungaround in direction of arrows l, Fig. l, and as the fingers pass throughthe cotton-plants the cranks F will be guided by the groove e ofcani-plate E, so as to retain the fingers about in avertical position,and at the same time the wavy portion e'ofthe camgroove, with thesprings C', will give a sidewise reciprocation to the ngers to causethem vto traverse all parts of the cotton-plants, from which the teethD2 will pick the ripe cotton, which will be carried upward and rearwardby the fingers to and between the brush-faces H' of the stripper-disksH.

IOC)

IIO

The cranks F of the linger-bars pass-by the wavy portion e' of the cambefore the fingers D reach the disks H, and the springs G then act,aided, it may be, bythe guide-plate G, as before described, to hold thefingers steady and cause them to swing upward fairly between thestripper-disks, and as the fingers enter between the disks and untilthey assume a horizontal position as they rise, the diskbrushes act fromthe roots of the linger-teeth DZ toward their points, so that the cottonis easily brushed from the fingers, and wit-hout tearing the fiber ofthe. cotton, which is can ried around by the brushes to the knife-edgedstripping-plates and toothed belts, which re.- move the cotton from thedisks H, as will be presently described. As the fingers D move upwardbetween the disks H, a quick upward swing is given the fingers by thepart e2 of thel cam-groove to facilitate the stripping `of the cottonfrom them by the disks.

The letters L indicate stripping plates, which consist of suitable thinplates of metal, one sideof which faces the brush material of theadjacent disk H. These plates L may be supported in any suitable way,sothat their upper edges, Z, stand about in horizontal plane a littleabove the upper or backward ruiming or going sides of the toothed beltsM, which, belts pass around loose bushings or rollers m2 on the shaft J,between the disks H, and backward through an opening, n, in the front ofthe cotton-receiving box N, to and around a roller, O, which extends forquite the full width of the box N.

The plates L may rest. at their outer or forward ends on top of theshaft J, between the belts M and their rollers m2, and extend a littlebelow the upper or going sides of the belts M, and the rear ends of eachplate L may connect by an arm, Z, andbolt or screw Z2 with a crossbar,Z3, held to the box N, as shown, or to the frame A; but I prefer to makethe stripperplates L L in pairs, or to connect their arms Z' by a crosspiece, Zt, through a hole in which the attaching-bolt Z2 may pass, and Imake said plates L broad or deep, so that they extend also below thebottom or returning sides of the belts M, and serve as division platesor guards to preventv contact of the belts M and stripping-disks H, sothey in no manner impede each other in their independent Inovements; andI support the forward ends of the plates L directly on the shaft J bypassing the shaft through holes L', near the forward ends of the plates,which holds the plates safely to their work and prevents noisy jarringof the plates on the shaft, and gives'them a substantial support at theforward ends, which permits a light and simple support at their backends.

I sharpen the edges of the stripper-plates L s by beveling them backfrom their inner faces,

and to prevent the edges of the plates from cutting into or crushing thebrush material of the disks H, I place washers L2 on the shaft J,between the plates and the .bushings h2 or below the upper sides of thebelts M, and to the shaft o of roller() is fixedthe chain-wheel l?, overwhich a chain-belt, P', passes to a chain-wheel, P2, on the shaft J ofthe stripperdisks H, whereby motion is imparted to the belts M M in thedirection of the arrows 3,

journaled by its shaft or gudgeons 0 in bearl ings fixed to the frame,and so as to come just` so that the cotton removed from the disks H bythe plates L, and falling from the plates onto the belts M, will becarried back into the receiving-box N.

The toothed beltsMM form a continuouslytraveling floor or bed frombetween the disks H at the shaft J, and back of these disks into the boxN, the intermediate belts, M, preventing the cotton from falling fromthe belts M back of the disks, and materially aiding the transfer of thecotton to the box N, so that all the cotton picked by the fingers D fromthe plants, and stripped from the fingers by the .disks H, and from thedisks by the plates L,

will be carried back into the box, and none ot' it will be allowed todrop to theground and be wasted. I slant the teeth or brush material m mofthe belts M M in the direction of motion of the belts, to more easilyand promptly catch the cotton falling from the plates L, and also toenable the rotary brush Q,'journaled by its shaft q in the box N, to

more easily brush the cotton from the travel-- ing belts MM into the boxN.

Motion is given the brush Q in the direction of arrows 4 by a cog-wheel,Q', on the shaft q, meshing with a cog-wheel, Q, on the shaft o ofthebelt-roller O, which is driven by the belt P,as before described. Islant or incline the brush material q ofthe brush Q backward IIO or inthe direction of rotation of the brush, so

that the sides of the brush material will act on the toothed belts M Mto brush thecotton therefrom without tearing `or damaging the fibers ofthe cotton. t p

A stripper-plate, R, fixed to the box N or its cover, acts by its lowerknife-edge toremove from the brush Q any cotton which it may carryupward from the belts, and a stripper-plate, S, arranged behind theroller O and its belts M M and fixed also to the box N strips from thebelts any cotton which may not be removed from them by the brush Q, sothat` all the cotton will fall upon the door of the box, which has aslotted construction or is provided with slots T of` proper size toallow any dust or dirt which may have been carried in with the cotton tofall through tothe ground while retaining the cotton in thebox.

The floor T of the box slants downward, so that thepicked cotton passesthrough an opening or openings, U, at the bac-kof the box N, and overtail-pieces U. into bags V, which are attached to hooks w, xed tosloping rods W, fastened at their forward ends to the box N, or to ahood-plate, NV', fixed to the box.

A door, N', is fitted to slide in suitable ways in the box N, and has abolt, n', which passes through a slot, n2, in the back of the box, sothat the door may be raised and held open by tightening the handle-nutn3 on the bolt u', as in Fig. 3, to allow the cotton to pass through thebox-openings U into bags V, and when the bags are filled the doors N maybe let down, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, to preventdischarge of the cotton from t-he box N While the lled bags are beingremoved from the rods W and empty bags placed thereon.

I hinge the top N2 ofthe box N, as at'n, and fasten it down by hook orlatch devices, as at a5, so that the top may be swung open at any time'for access to the interior of the box for cleaning it or for adjustingor cleaning the brush and belts therein.

I fasten to the machine-frame, by bolts or screws passed through itsupturned ends x x, the plate X, which ranges transversely of the machinebelow the stripper-disks H, to prevent entanglement'of the disks withthe cotton-plants or weedy growths as the machine moves over the field.

To prevent the operation ofthe picking mechanism as the machine is beingdrawn to and from the place of use, it only is necessary to throw thebelts I K from the chain-wheels or pulleys I K, or any suitable clutchdevices may be provided, when the wheels I/ K may be fitted on t-he axleto throw the wheels in gear to operate or disconnect the pickingmechanism from either the hind axle or one of its wheels, as willreadily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a cotton-harvester, the following elements in combination: asuitable supportingframe, one or more series of rotating pickerngersmounted on the frame, aseries of disks rotating behind the fingers, andbetween the brushing sides of which the fingers pass as they rise fromthe cotton plant,stripping-plates acting to remove the picked cottonfrom'the disks, a series of toothed belts running between thestripper-disks, and a series of intermediate toothed belts runningbetween the first' named belts and behind the stripper-disks, said beltsacting to transfer the picked cotton to a receiver, and means within thereceiver for removing the cotton from the belts, substantially as hereinset forth.

2. In cotton-harvesters, the picker-fingers xed in transverse rows onbarsjournaled in end plates of a rotating frame, and mechanism forgiving said fingers an independent sidewise movement as they passthrough the cotton-plant, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, With the picker-fingers D,fixed on bars G, journaled in end plates, B B2, of la rotating frame,and cranks F on the bars C, of a cam, E, having the lower portion of thegroove e provided with anotched base portion, e', whereby thepickerfingers are maintained in about vertical positions as they passthrough the plants and at the same time have imparted to them a sidewisemovement, substantially as herein set forth.

4. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the picker-fingers D,fixed on bars C,jour naled in end plates, B B, of a rotating frame, andcranks F on the bars C, of a cam having a notched portion, e', on whichthe ends of the cranks act, and springs tending to carry the bars Ctoward the cam, whereby the pickeringers are guided through the plantsand at the same time have imparted to them alateral reciprocation,substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the pickerfingers D,fixed on bars C, journaled in end plates, Bl B2, of a rotating frame,and cranks F on the bars C, of afixed cam, E, having a groove, e, shapedsubstantially as specied,and said groove also having a notched portion,e', and springs acting to force the bars C toward the eam E, whereby thefingers are maintained in about vertical positions as they pass throughthe plants, and at the same time have imparted to themalateralreciprocation, substantially as herein set forth.

6. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the picker-fingers D,secured to bars C, journaled in end plates, B' B2, mounted on a shaft,B, of the collars c c2 c3, and springs C on the bars C, substantially asherein set forth. 7. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with thepicker-fingers D, secured to bars C, journaled in lend plates, Bl B2, ofa rotating frame, of the guide-plate G, substantially as herein setforth.

8. In a cotton-harvester, the picker fingers D, constructed with theirportions which enter the plants made in triangular form in cross-sectionand xed to supporting-bars with one angle facing their direction ofmovement and with their two forward diverging faces provided withgrooves D having teeth D2 set therein with their points lying at orbelow the general plane of the faces of the fingers, substantially asherein set forth.

9. In a cotton-harvester, the picker-fingers D, constructed with theirportions which enter the plants made triangular in cross-section andwith the apex ofone ofthe angles toward the front fixed to bars whichare journaled in a rotatingframe, and said fingers having teeth D2 setin grooves, with their points lying within the general plane of the faceof the finger, and

means for rotating the finger-bar frame, substantially as herein setforth.

10. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, With the pickervfingers D,having teeth D2, and rotating in one direction, of the stripper-disks H,having brush material H on their opposing faces, between which thefingers D pass, and said disks II rotating in the opposite direc- ISOtion, whereby the brushes will act on the iingers as they rise from theplant in thedirection of the length of the teeth and toward the pointsof the teeth, substantially as herein set forth.

1l. I n a cottonharvester, the combination, with therotatingrpicker-ingers D, and the stripper-disks H, rotating in reversedirections, as specified, of a cam acting to impart a quick movement tothe fingers as they pass between the stripper-disks, substantially asherein set forth. l

12. In acotton-harvester, the combination, with the rotatingpicker-fingers D and rotating-disks H, of ,stripper-plates acting to re.

move the picked cotton from the disks, and

toothed belts M, running between the plates and receiving the cottonfrom the stripperplates and conveying it to a receiver, substantially asherein set forth.

413. In a cottonharvester, the combination, with the stripper'disks Hand conveyerbelts M, of stripper-plates extending above the upper sidesof belts M and supported at their forward ends by the passage of thedisk-shaft through them, substantially as herein set forth.

14. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the stripper-disks Hand conveyerbelts M, of stripper-plates L,'made broad or deep tov extendabove and below the opposite running sides of the belts, substantiallyas herein set forth.

15. In a cotton harvester, the combination, with the stripper-disks Hand conveyer-belts M, of stripper-plates L, extending above and belowthe opposite running sidesof the belts M, and hung at their forwardendson the shaft J of the stripper-disks, substantially as herein setforth.

16. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the stripper-disks Hand conveyer-belts M, of stripper-plates L, extending above Aand belowthe opposite running sides of the belts M, and hung at their` forwardends on the shaft J of the stripper-disks, and connected at their rearends by bars l to a transverse bar, Z3, substantially as herein setforth.

herein set forth.

17 In a cotton harvester,thestripper-plates constructed in pairs L L,having forward holes, L', and connected at their shanks by a tie-bar,Z4, substantially as herein set forth.

18. In' a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the stripper-disks H,stripper-plates L, and shaft J, of the washers L2, substantially as 19.In a cotton-harvester, the stripper-,disks H, mounted rigidlyon theshaft J, the washers L2 on the shaft next the body portions o the disks,the stripper-plates L, held on the NM shaft outside the washers, the`bushings m2 on 6o the shaft between the plates L, and the belts M,running over the bushings m2, all combined and operatin g substantiallyas herein set forth.

20. In acottcn-harvester, thecombination, withthe stripper-disks H,stripper-plates L, and belts M, running between the disks Hand runningovera rear roller, .0, of. intermediate belts, M', running over roller Oand over a roller, O', located behind the disks H, substantially asherein set forth.

21. In cotton-harvesters, the combination, with the rotatingpicker-fingers D, strippen disks H, stripper-plates L, andconveyer-beltsM M', of the brush Q, substantially as herein set forth. Y

22. In cotton-harvesters, the combination, with the brush Q andAtoothed-belts M M', of the stripper-plates R S, substantially as hereinset forth; e

28. In cotton-harvesters, the cotton-receiving box N, constructed with asloping floor having slots or openings T, substantially as herein setforth.

24. In cottonharvesters, the cotton-receiving box constructed with asloping door having .slots or openings T, with rear openings, U,

adapted to be closed by avertieally-sliding door, N', and with rods W,having hooks w, on which to hang the bags to receive the cot*v ton,substantially as herein set forth.I

CHARLES L. WALTER.

Witnesses:

J. J. HAL-EY, i J. J. HALEY, Jr.

